Colonic Angiolipoma: A Rare Cause of Chronic Anemia and Rectal Bleeding

Angiolipomas are rare, benign tumors characterized by a mixture of adipose tissue and blood vessels, distinguishing them from lipomas. This case involves a 52-year-old woman with no significant medical history who presented with generalized weakness, fatigue, and intermittent, painless rectal bleeding over six months, initially dismissed as hemorrhoidal. Despite exhibiting mild pallor and trace rectal bleeding upon examination, significant iron-deficiency anemia was diagnosed through laboratory tests. Incorporating colonoscopy and computed tomography, the diagnostic process identified a 2 cm submucosal lesion in the ascending colon, characterized as a well-defined, fat-density mass. Histopathological analysis following surgical resection confirmed the diagnosis of a colonic angiolipoma. The patient's recovery, marked by the resolution of symptoms and normalization of hemoglobin levels, underscores the effectiveness of surgical treatment. This case highlights the diagnostic challenges posed by colonic angiolipomas due to their nonspecific symptoms. It emphasizes the importance of considering such rare entities in the differential diagnosis of gastrointestinal symptoms. This approach facilitates prompt and appropriate treatment, enriching the limited literature and advocating for clinical vigilance and interdisciplinary diagnostic strategies.